Offensive Comparison (245 words)
Rodriguez v Akselsen might not be the matchup on everyone’s mind, although it would probably be the best actual fight among offensive player comparisons, but it’s one of the most important for the NSFC Championship Game.
Bender Rodriguez has had a monster season, and while I don’t have the access to the Yeti’s depth chart to be able to confirm this, he’s likely done most of it at Left Tackle, given his high pancake numbers. His 50 pancakes rank second among Offensive Linemen, and 6 sacks against is respectable in the sack-happy NSFC - only 3 Offensive Linemen have surrendered fewer. Akselsen has had one fewer pancake, but one more sack allowed, a trade any offensive lineman would make.
In the 5 games the Yeti and Wraiths have played, the team with the most sacks has won every game - the Yeti currently lead the series 3-2 and lead the sack count 24-23. Akselsen has the advantage of a better supporting cast, and a more obvious threat - Yellowknife is likely to line him up against the LEO rush, likely to come from Jonathan Saint, the Yeti’s sack leader. Rodriguez’s assignment is less obvious - will the Yeti line him up against Jason Spearhead, or kick him to the interior to face Mark Ramrio or Trent Bender?
In any case, smart eyes will be in the trenches to see which team can better protect their Quarterback, and the men to watch on the line will be Rodriguez and Akselsen.
Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series (284 words)
There are 3 linebackers in the NSFL with double digit regular season sacks, and all 3 will be playing in the NSFL championship game. Today we’ll look at the matchup between Jonathan Saint and Harrif Ernston, with a special mention to Wyatt Fulton and Brady Stropko.
Saint has had a nose for the opposing quarterback all season racking up 14 sacks, good for second in the league. He is one of only 7 players to record more than 100 tackles, and has forced 2 fumbles. This has allowed his partner, Wyatt Fulton, to cheat back and play coverage with more certainty - he is second among linebackers in coverage, with 8 pass deflections and an interception. This dominance showed itself in the NSFC Championship Game - Saint and Fulton both tallied 8 tackles, they combined for 3 sacks, with Saint picking up 2 and Fulton picking up the other, and Fulton deflected a pass - all key plays in what finished as a one-score game.
On the other side of the field, Harrif Ernston finished the season with 12 sacks, 5 pass deflections and an interception, while Stropko tallied 9 sacks, a safety, and 3 pass deflections. It is clear that the Outlaws use their pairing in a more balanced role, expecting both to do a little bit of everything. The Arizona pairing also recorded 16 tackles in their Championship game, with Stropko recording 3 tackles for a loss, and Ernston recording a sack and a safety.
Saint and Ernston, and their partners in Fulton and Stropko, will be difference makers that the Outlaws and Yeti will have to plan around. The story of the Ultimus Cup could well be which Linebacker is shut down the best.
Bottom Third: Write about why the Baltimore Hawks and/or San Jose Sabercats were not able to make the playoffs (226 words)
Much has already been made about the Baltimore Hawks’ offensive struggles, but it is important to also highlight another area that cost them the second berth in the NSFC Championship game - a lack of stars on defense.
By far the biggest disruption by a position group on defense has come from the line - 11 of the 14 players with double digit sacks are defensive linemen, and linemen are the top 6 for tackles for loss. While the draft is a bit of a crapshoot, Baltimore began season 1 with a lineup of two solid players in Bisquiteen Crocker and Franklin Harris, who would later be traded one for one to Orange County for Burt Metas. However, with only a single Defensive End and Tackle worth writing home about, other teams could gameplan around Crocker and Metas, leading Baltimore to be last in the league in sacks by 17, and 5th in the league in tackles for loss with 38.
All is not lost for the Hawks - all 3 of their linebackers have shown the development and production that could bring them to the next level, and they ranked second in the NSFL in forced fumbles and fumble recoveries, as well as 3rd in Interceptions, but Baltimore must make steps to shore up their defensive line before they can think about a run at the Glacies Trophy.
Championship Game Recap (205 words)
One of the most important things that a player can do in a ‘win or go home’ game is to set the pace. That’s why the play of the game, in my eyes, happened a minute and 16 seconds into the game.
The Yeti recieved the opening kickoff and rushed for 7 yards on 2 attempts. On 3rd and 3, 7 yards from the halfway line, Logan Noble tripped a pass rusher pushing the Yeti back to 3rd and 13 at their own 35 yard line. To commit a penalty less than a minute into the biggest game of your life is hard for any quarterback, and Noble would have been desperate to keep the momentum going. He took a modest drop back, looked for a receiver and found himself flat on his back. Sack, Jayce Tuck. 6 yard loss.
On the next offensive drive, Noble would throw an interception to Ryan Flock, opening up the floodgates for the Outlaws, who would storm to a 29-6 victory. It may be seen as lineman bias, but I think just as much credit should go to Jayce Tuck for getting in Noble’s head, and not letting the All-Pro quarterback to settle in the early minutes of the game.
Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them (212 words)
The story of the NSFL’s first Ultimus Cup was one of the Arizona Outlaws taking control early, and the Colorado Yeti being unable to catch back up. I’ve already written about the play of the game - a Jayce Tuck sack 1 minute and 16 seconds in - and I would be remiss to not call him the player of the game.
The Yeti completed 2 of their 14 first downs, in no small part due to the pressure put on by the defensive line. Jayce Tuck picked up where he left off at the end of the regular season, personally killing 2 of the 12 failed drives, and forming part of blitzes that ended another 6 - while he didn’t personally record the sack, a linebacker cannot work a blitz without a lineman opening up the other side of the pocket.
Tuck finished the game with 6 tackles, one for a loss and 3 on the line of scrimmage, no huge shock given that he finished second among all players in tackles for loss in the regular season. No matter how the Yeti attempted to claw back into the game, Tuck was there to put a stick in their spokes, no small feat when lining up against offensive catalysts like Noble, Luke Tiernan, and Boss Tweed.
Rodriguez v Akselsen might not be the matchup on everyone’s mind, although it would probably be the best actual fight among offensive player comparisons, but it’s one of the most important for the NSFC Championship Game.
Bender Rodriguez has had a monster season, and while I don’t have the access to the Yeti’s depth chart to be able to confirm this, he’s likely done most of it at Left Tackle, given his high pancake numbers. His 50 pancakes rank second among Offensive Linemen, and 6 sacks against is respectable in the sack-happy NSFC - only 3 Offensive Linemen have surrendered fewer. Akselsen has had one fewer pancake, but one more sack allowed, a trade any offensive lineman would make.
In the 5 games the Yeti and Wraiths have played, the team with the most sacks has won every game - the Yeti currently lead the series 3-2 and lead the sack count 24-23. Akselsen has the advantage of a better supporting cast, and a more obvious threat - Yellowknife is likely to line him up against the LEO rush, likely to come from Jonathan Saint, the Yeti’s sack leader. Rodriguez’s assignment is less obvious - will the Yeti line him up against Jason Spearhead, or kick him to the interior to face Mark Ramrio or Trent Bender?
In any case, smart eyes will be in the trenches to see which team can better protect their Quarterback, and the men to watch on the line will be Rodriguez and Akselsen.
Defensive Comparison: Compare one defensive player from each team in a series (284 words)
There are 3 linebackers in the NSFL with double digit regular season sacks, and all 3 will be playing in the NSFL championship game. Today we’ll look at the matchup between Jonathan Saint and Harrif Ernston, with a special mention to Wyatt Fulton and Brady Stropko.
Saint has had a nose for the opposing quarterback all season racking up 14 sacks, good for second in the league. He is one of only 7 players to record more than 100 tackles, and has forced 2 fumbles. This has allowed his partner, Wyatt Fulton, to cheat back and play coverage with more certainty - he is second among linebackers in coverage, with 8 pass deflections and an interception. This dominance showed itself in the NSFC Championship Game - Saint and Fulton both tallied 8 tackles, they combined for 3 sacks, with Saint picking up 2 and Fulton picking up the other, and Fulton deflected a pass - all key plays in what finished as a one-score game.
On the other side of the field, Harrif Ernston finished the season with 12 sacks, 5 pass deflections and an interception, while Stropko tallied 9 sacks, a safety, and 3 pass deflections. It is clear that the Outlaws use their pairing in a more balanced role, expecting both to do a little bit of everything. The Arizona pairing also recorded 16 tackles in their Championship game, with Stropko recording 3 tackles for a loss, and Ernston recording a sack and a safety.
Saint and Ernston, and their partners in Fulton and Stropko, will be difference makers that the Outlaws and Yeti will have to plan around. The story of the Ultimus Cup could well be which Linebacker is shut down the best.
Bottom Third: Write about why the Baltimore Hawks and/or San Jose Sabercats were not able to make the playoffs (226 words)
Much has already been made about the Baltimore Hawks’ offensive struggles, but it is important to also highlight another area that cost them the second berth in the NSFC Championship game - a lack of stars on defense.
By far the biggest disruption by a position group on defense has come from the line - 11 of the 14 players with double digit sacks are defensive linemen, and linemen are the top 6 for tackles for loss. While the draft is a bit of a crapshoot, Baltimore began season 1 with a lineup of two solid players in Bisquiteen Crocker and Franklin Harris, who would later be traded one for one to Orange County for Burt Metas. However, with only a single Defensive End and Tackle worth writing home about, other teams could gameplan around Crocker and Metas, leading Baltimore to be last in the league in sacks by 17, and 5th in the league in tackles for loss with 38.
All is not lost for the Hawks - all 3 of their linebackers have shown the development and production that could bring them to the next level, and they ranked second in the NSFL in forced fumbles and fumble recoveries, as well as 3rd in Interceptions, but Baltimore must make steps to shore up their defensive line before they can think about a run at the Glacies Trophy.
Championship Game Recap (205 words)
One of the most important things that a player can do in a ‘win or go home’ game is to set the pace. That’s why the play of the game, in my eyes, happened a minute and 16 seconds into the game.
The Yeti recieved the opening kickoff and rushed for 7 yards on 2 attempts. On 3rd and 3, 7 yards from the halfway line, Logan Noble tripped a pass rusher pushing the Yeti back to 3rd and 13 at their own 35 yard line. To commit a penalty less than a minute into the biggest game of your life is hard for any quarterback, and Noble would have been desperate to keep the momentum going. He took a modest drop back, looked for a receiver and found himself flat on his back. Sack, Jayce Tuck. 6 yard loss.
On the next offensive drive, Noble would throw an interception to Ryan Flock, opening up the floodgates for the Outlaws, who would storm to a 29-6 victory. It may be seen as lineman bias, but I think just as much credit should go to Jayce Tuck for getting in Noble’s head, and not letting the All-Pro quarterback to settle in the early minutes of the game.
Playoff Series MVP: Choose an MVP for one of the playoff series and write about why you chose them (212 words)
The story of the NSFL’s first Ultimus Cup was one of the Arizona Outlaws taking control early, and the Colorado Yeti being unable to catch back up. I’ve already written about the play of the game - a Jayce Tuck sack 1 minute and 16 seconds in - and I would be remiss to not call him the player of the game.
The Yeti completed 2 of their 14 first downs, in no small part due to the pressure put on by the defensive line. Jayce Tuck picked up where he left off at the end of the regular season, personally killing 2 of the 12 failed drives, and forming part of blitzes that ended another 6 - while he didn’t personally record the sack, a linebacker cannot work a blitz without a lineman opening up the other side of the pocket.
Tuck finished the game with 6 tackles, one for a loss and 3 on the line of scrimmage, no huge shock given that he finished second among all players in tackles for loss in the regular season. No matter how the Yeti attempted to claw back into the game, Tuck was there to put a stick in their spokes, no small feat when lining up against offensive catalysts like Noble, Luke Tiernan, and Boss Tweed.
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Don't go inactive or you'll get traded to the cheat team kids
sig coming soonTM
RIP Old Man Yellowknife Brand 2017-2017
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